Pharmaceutical products parametric release

The sterilization processes described in the Ph Eur are preferred, especially terminal sterilization in the final container alternative processes have to be justified. All sterilization processes will need to be described and appropriate in-process controls and limits included. Where Ph Eur prescriptions are followed, there should be a statement to this effect in the application. Most of this information should be discussed in the development pharmaceutics section. Reference is made to the specific guidelines on ethylene oxide sterilization and irradiation sterilization, which are discussed further below. The possibility of parametric release for terminal processes such as saturated steam and irradiation is mentioned (see below). For all sterile products there should be a sterility requirement included in the finished product specification regardless of the outcome of validation studies. 

The first demonstration of solid state fluorescence of API dates back to 1961, while its in-line use for final drug product manufacturing was not demonstrated until recently." While in its infancy as a process analytical technology for real-time monitoring and product parametric real-time release, the applications identified and in some instances demonstrated include (i) blend endpoint API content nniformity detection " (ii) segregation monitoring or API content at various process critical control points and (iii) at-line tablet content uniformity determination. The fundamentals of solid-state luminescence spectroscopy for pharmaceutical solids has been covered by Brittain."... 

Injectable products, ophthalmic products, and inhalation solutions Pharmaceutical ingredients Purified water Manufacturing environment Products As above Loop and taps daily Every shift in critical aseptic processing areas Every batch with the exception of terminally sterilized products approved for parametric release... 

The consistency issues are those of consistency among the various methods of achieving sterility (should some be eligible for parametric release while others should not be eligible ) and consistency among the sterility test and the various end-product chemical and physical tests required to release pharmaceutical products to market. 

There is no such thing as a free lunch (Henry Ford). Eliminating the sterility test is not merely a technical issue it has wide-ranging commercial implications. Release of many billions of dollars worth of pharmaceutical and medical products is held up each day while sterility tests are incubating. It should not be believed that parametric release leads to the realization of all of these costs. 

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